Where does “kärkimies” come from?

kärkimies (Finnish) comes from Finnish mies, from Proto-Finnic mees, from Proto-Finnic meexes.

kärkimies (Finnish): boss, leader, top dog, big cheese, big enchilada,...

Definitions

  1. boss, leader, top dog, big cheese, big enchilada,...

Ancestry of “kärkimies”, step by step

kärkimies traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Finnish mies

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Finnishmiesman; husband
2Proto-Finnicmeesman, male; husband
3Proto-Finnicmeexes

via Finnish kärki

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Finnishkärkipoint, tip, cusp; lead; vertex
2Proto-Finnickärkiblack woodpecker
3Proto-Finno-Permickärke
Every word from Proto-Finnic meexesEvery word from Proto-Finnic meesEvery word from Finnish mies